All articles by Crowdfunder

Top Questions Investors Ask Part 4 “People who ask confidently get more than those who are hesitant and uncertain. When you’ve figured out what you want to ask for, do it with certainty, boldness and confidence. Don’t be shy or feel intimidated by the experience. You may face some unexpected criticism, but be prepared for... Continue reading...

“Success is where preparation and opportunity meet.” –Bobby Unser Preparing to pitch investors can be intimidating but understanding the questions most likely to be asked can help you overcome your nerves. This is the third article in our series about questions investors commonly ask. Today we will cover traction and early adoption, any downsides or... Continue reading...

“Be prepared, work hard, and hope for a little luck. Recognize that the harder you work and the better prepared you are, the more luck you might have.” –Ed Bradley Searching out, pitching to, and bringing on investors can be a lengthy and involved process. You can make it smoother by being as prepared as... Continue reading...

“To be prepared is half the victory” –Miguel de Cervantes Whether you are putting together your pitch deck or prepping for an interview with an investor, the more prepared you are, the better. Especially if this is your first time through the process of investors and fundraising, it is easy to get overwhelmed and even... Continue reading...

Do you have a great business idea you want to get off the ground? Is your company ready to jump to the next stage of growth? Do you want to launch a new product or service line? If you answered yes to any of the above questions, congratulations! These are all stages when it’s common... Continue reading...

The term “angel investor” has grown in popularity in recent years, even to the point of becoming trendy. But what does it mean to be an angel investor and is that what you really want to do? Definition of an Angel Investor An angel investor invests his or her own money in a business, usually... Continue reading...

Whether you are a start-up looking for seed money or a seasoned business wanting to get to the next level, an infusion of money into the company is often the best way to get there. Turning to the investor and venture capital (VC) world is more and more common. If you are wondering what investors... Continue reading...

David Lasorda has a background in the financial services industry, with over two years of experience in FX and derivatives trading at Guggenheim Partners. He transitioned into entrepreneurship as founder of Lasorda Family Wines, a role that has prepared him well to join the Crowdfunder team as a Venture Consultant. David currently works as a... Continue reading...

Katie Talati is the Head of Investor Relations at Crowdfunder, Inc. where she focuses on developing relationships with investors in all aspects of the Crowdfunder business. This includes investors on our platform, limited partners in our venture fund and our investors for Crowdfunder Inc.. During her time at Crowdfunder, she has reviewed hundreds of... Continue reading...

Modbook is a company currently accepting reservations on the Crowdfunder platform. They make the macOS tablet that Apple won’t — a full-featured, all-in-one pen tablet convertible for power and performance dependent Mac users. Led and advised by former Apple managers, Modbook has successfully established a strong brand with a proven record of... Continue reading...

Jenny Kim is one of our developers at Crowdfunder. We interviewed her about being a woman in Tech and her experience working on our team. Jenny has a background in neuroscience research and education research in the STEM fields at UC Riverside. During her time at UC Riverside, she made a purposeful effort to seek... Continue reading...

As many products in our life advance, there seems to be a growing sense that our biggest investment, our homes, should be improving as well. Instead, today’s houses look and function exactly like our grandparents’ did, and the process of building is one of the most daunting undertakings. It’s filled with variables and often requires... Continue reading...

From savings to banking to investing… finance is moving online. With this, we’re seeing the disruption of venture capital brought about by new laws that may change the game for how entrepreneurs can raise funding and who can invest. As the CEO of equity investment platform Crowdfunder.com, I was part of a small leadership group... Continue reading...

We recently chatted with Revl CEO Eric Sanchez to discuss his fundraising successes on Crowdfunder. Revl has reserved over $4.1M on Crowdfunder. With product scheduled to launch in April, Revl is on a clear trajectory to give GoPro a run for its money.... Continue reading...

A convertible note (also referred to as convertible debt) is a debt loan that converts to equity when a company reaches a certain milestone, usually the next round of equity financing. It is a common way for early-stage startups to fundraise. Convertible notes are commonly used as it is less expensive for a company to... Continue reading...

We believe investing in early-stage startups is very different than investing in public market opportunities. Besides the unique opportunities associated with startup investing, and the long term liquidation nature of your investments, startups use slightly different terminology with which you may not be familiar. Below is a sample of the most commonly used deal terms.... Continue reading...

If recent history is any indication for what the smartphone will look and be like in the near future, then we can expect radical changes and dramatically different ways that we will interface with this technology.... Continue reading...

For decades, America’s economic success has been driven by an engine of innovation that periodically creates new industries and companies that change the world. The JOBS (Jumpstart Our Business Startups) Act was passed to make it easier for startups to get off the ground and access early-stage investments. Small businesses are the growth engine of... Continue reading...

In a previous post, we delved into the importance of diversification in a start-up portfolio. We looked at ‘The Babe Ruth Effect’ and the number of different positions that should be taken to properly diversify an early stage investment portfolio. Startup investors must be aware that they are going to encounter more losses than wins.... Continue reading...

From the desk of Chance Barnett, CEO of Crowdfunder There is a proven process to successfully raising startup funding. I’ve learned about the process over the years by getting to know a few of the worlds most successful serial entrepreneurs, by raising millions myself from angels & VCs, by investing as an angel, and as... Continue reading...

Millennials are not only the largest generation in U.S. history, they will also receive the greatest transfer of inherited wealth ever. It’s also been observed that Millennials are changing how businesses operate through their unique preferences and behaviors surrounding spending, lifestyle, and finance. Because of this, Millennials are poised to transform nearly every facet of... Continue reading...

Diversification is key to mitigating risk and maintaining a healthy startup portfolio. As media coverage is saturated with news of unicorns like Facebook and Alibaba leading to huge paydays for investors, it’s easy to look past the risk to the possible reward. But it’s important to remember that the majority of startups fail. According to... Continue reading...

Read Full Article on Seeking Alpha Summary Impact investing continues to gain traction. In the near future a standard will be established for impact criteria. Impact investors may attain similar results to more traditional vehicles though it may require a longer investment horizon for gains to be realized.... Continue reading...

Since this interview, Digitzs has reserved over $7 Million for their Crowdfunder Campaign. We sat down with Laura Wagner, CEO of Digitzs, to discuss her keys to startup success and how her team has raised close to $4 Million on the Crowdfunder platform and is currently #3 on The CNBC Crowdfinance 50 Index.... Continue reading...

Have some extra cash and want to start investing in startups? Become an Angel Investor. An Angel Investor is a private investor who provides working capital for business startups in exchange for equity. Angel investing is a risky investment but the reward is great if you pick winners. Because the majority of startups fail, due... Continue reading...

Read on Forbes In the more than two years since the passage of Title II of the JOBS Act, equity crowdfunding with accredited investors has rapidly grown, allowing startups to easily seek funding online with little added costs or hassles. As the CEO of Crowdfunder, a leading equity crowdfunding platform + venture fund, I see... Continue reading...

Read on SeekingAlpha Summary Dollar Shave Club has found success in disruption of established industries. Companies such as Dollar Shave Club, GoDaddy and Geico have used marketing to differentiate their businesses. Companies that establish loyal followers create brand ambassadors for years to come. ... Continue reading...

Earlier this month, Microsoft announced it would acquire LinkedIn for $26.2 Billion, valuing the company at 91 times earnings. LinkedIn performance has been lackluster since it’s public debut dropping $11 Billion from its market value in February following lower than expected 2016 revenue forecasts. Despite poor performance, many in the Venture Capital and Technology space... Continue reading...

Your startup is ready to raise funding. So now what? There are several options available to entrepreneurs raising money and it can be difficult to decide which outlet is best for your startup. We’re here to help with the Ultimate Guide to Startup Funding.... Continue reading...

Snapchat Shows us that Startup Funding has not Dried up, but Change has come to the Venture Capital Market. As the CEO of the equity crowdfunding platform + early stage venture fund, Crowdfunder.com, I have a front row seat to the rapidly changing dynamics of Venture Capital. On May 26th, Snapchat announced it closed a Series F... Continue reading...

You came up with an idea. Started a business. Built an MVP and attracted users to the platform. You now need funds to scale. It’s time for your seed round. The success of your seed round will determine the success of the business. Follow these tips, to make sure you get it right the first... Continue reading...

We are excited to announce the addition of Steven McClurg to our Executive Team. Steven will be serving as Chief Operations Officer of Crowdfunder and Managing Director for the VC Index Fund. He joins Crowdfunder after spending several years in Financial Services, most recently at Guggenheim Partners where he was a Managing Director working in... Continue reading...

Read on Forbes The long awaited Title III of the JOBS Act goes into effect Monday, May 16th. With Title III comes the latest in equity crowdfunding laws that permit non-accredited individuals to invest in private startups and small businesses. Investing was previously restricted to wealthier accredited investors and institutions only. Title III was originally viewed as a potential game... Continue reading...

This week our CEO & Co-Founder, Chance Barnett, was invited to participate in The Milken Global Conference 2016. The Global Conference brings together some of the most innovative individuals who work to explore pressing challenges in financial markets, and various industry sectors such as health, government, and education.... Continue reading...

Serica recently closed their round on Crowdfunder. We we’re able to catch up with Taariq Lewis, CEO and Founder of Serica, to hear about their success on Crowdfunder. Here’s what he had to say.... Continue reading...

Read Full Story Here – By Rafe Furst Hacking the Startup Fundraising Matrix How to Leverage Social Currency The Eightfold Path to Investment The Five Hindrances to Getting Funded There are many things that entrepreneurs can do to help be proactive during their fundraising process. As an investor myself, these are some obstacles I see many... Continue reading...

Read Full Story Here – By Rafe Furst Hacking the Startup Fundraising Matrix How to Leverage Social Currency The Eightfold Path to Investment The Five Hindrances to Getting Funded Knowing when to start looking for investment and how to go about it is one of the most critical points in a startup’s life. There are several... Continue reading...

Read Full Story Here – By Rafe Furst Hacking the Startup Fundraising Matrix How to Leverage Social Currency The Eightfold Path to Investment The Five Hindrances to Getting Funded “I know Kung Fu!” – Neo Your campaign will consist of five phases: Building Social Currency Closing Your Lead Closing Your Network Public Closing Victory Lap... Continue reading...

Read Full Story Here – By Rafe Furst Hacking the Startup Fundraising Matrix How to Leverage Social Currency The Eightfold Path to Investment The Five Hindrances to Getting Funded “The Matrix is the world that has been pulled over your eyes to blind you from the truth.” – Morpheus The Big Idea Contrary to what you... Continue reading...

By Rafe Furst, Crowdfunder Co-Founder I recently published a comprehensive guide for entrepreneurs called Hacking the Startup Fundraising Matrix. This is based on my 20 years of experience as a fundraising entrepreneur and as an angel investor myself. Here I’m going to share my favorite hacks for evaluating a deal as an angel investor*.... Continue reading...

We have seen massive growth within the crowdfunding industry over the past 5 years. In 2010, the crowdfunding market was relatively small comprised mainly of early adopters. Fast forward to 2015 where projections show the crowdfunding industry to be an estimated $34 billion. Crowdfunder is at the forefront of this burgeoning industry where over 100,000... Continue reading...

Trending Startup: Hang w/ Hang w/ is a live streaming mobile platform with celebrity endorsers and millions of users. They are currently backed by 50 Cent, Timbaland, Elton Brand, and “Larry the Cable Guy.” “I believe we are entering a golden age in technology. Creative minds are harnessing what’s possible to take human relationships to... Continue reading...

LiveAnswer, the next evolution of customer communication, recently placed 3rd out of a thousand companies across the United States competing to become Tech.Co’s CELEBRATE 2015 Startup of the Year. As a Celebrate 2015 finalist, the Miami-based startup qualified for the opportunity to choose one of the grand prizes offered by leading companies – a total... Continue reading...

PingTank recently raised $450,000 from 4 investors through Crowdfunder. PingTank is a social media platform that enables users to add 2D/3D overlays to their images. We we’re able to catch up with Lars Halvor Jenson, COO of PingTank, to hear about their success on Crowdfunder. Here’s what he had to say.... Continue reading...

Today the SEC passed rules to implement Title III of the JOBS Act marking the start of true equity crowdfunding including non-accredited investors. This is a momentous shift as it will be the first time in 80 years that everyday citizens will be able to invest in early stage companies. This will have massive implications... Continue reading...

Bitvore recently raised over $1,000,000 from 10 investors through Crowdfunder. Bitvore collects vast amounts of data from the Internet and turns it into clean, organized intelligence that’s ready for use. We we’re able to catch up with Jeff Currie, CEO of Bitvore, to hear about their success on Crowdfunder. Here’s what he had to say.... Continue reading...

Investing is inherently social. Investors are investing in the founders and their team just as much as the idea. That is why we made it easy to interact with Founders and Investors through our new Follow and Messaging functionality. Now it will be easier than ever to interact with your Followers and Message them relevant... Continue reading...

We had the chance to speak with James Fahn, Co-Founder & COO of Fellow Robots, on how they were able to leverage crowdfunding for their fundraise to ultimately raise $225,000 from a total of 3 investors. Here’s what James had to say about his experience using Crowdfunder.... Continue reading...

Read on Forbes – By Chance Barnett There’s an age old question in wealth management and investment advice: Man or Machine. Today the battle has begun. Over the last six years, a related segment of FinTech that has received a lot of attention, and a fair share of controversy, is automated investment services… or what are frequently called “robo advisors.”... Continue reading...